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small price, big dish

Cottage pie (hachis parmentier) with carrots

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 50 minutes, around $1.83 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

50mintotal
≈ $1.83a serving
536kcalper serving
27gof protein
In season in OctoberFreezes well
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Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go

  1. Peel the vegetables

    Peel the potatoes and carrots. Cut them into small cubes. Peel the onion and chop it finely.

  2. Cook the potatoes

    Put the diced potatoes in the saucepan with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, then cook for 15 min over medium heat, until tender.

  3. Cook the onion

    In the skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 min without browning.

    Tip · If the onion starts browning too fast, lower the heat and add 1 tsp of water to loosen it.

  4. Cook the ground beef

    Add the ground beef to the skillet with the onion. Brown it for 5 min, stirring, so it cooks through. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

  5. Add the carrots

    Stir the diced carrots into the skillet with the beef. Cook for 5 min, stirring now and then.

  6. Mash the potatoes

    Drain the cooked potatoes and roughly mash them with a fork. Add the warm milk and butter. Mix well into a smooth, even mash. Season with salt and pepper.

    Tip · For creamier mashed potatoes, mash them while they're still hot, before adding the milk and butter.

  7. Preheat the oven

    Preheat the oven to 180 °C (thermostat 6).

  8. Assemble the pie

    In the gratin dish, spread out the beef and carrot mixture. Cover it evenly with the mashed potatoes.

  9. Bake until golden

    Bake the dish at 180 °C for 10 min to lightly brown the top.

And there you go, it's readyCheck off every step to celebrate.

The questions you're asking

short answers, numbers you can check

How many calories in a serving?

One serving has about 536 kcal. 29% comes from carbs, 20% from protein and 49% from fat.

38 gCarbs
27 gProtein
29 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy536 kcal
Protein26.7 g
Carbs38.4 g
of which sugars9.9 g
Fat29 g
of which saturated fat12.9 g
Fiber6.9 g
Salt0.5 g

Worked out ingredient by ingredient with the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table, never written by an AI. It's an estimate: veggie sizes and brands make the numbers vary.

How much does it cost?

About $1.83 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $3.66for 2 people
≈ $1.83a serving

Pantry salt, oil and spices aren't counted. Your store and your brands will move the total, but the ballpark is right.

How long does it keep?

2 days in the fridge, in a closed container, once cooled within two hours. And it freezes really well.

2 daysin the fridge
Very wellin the freezer, thaw it in the fridge the day before

Times Popotam uses for meal prep, based on ANSES guidance, rounded down. The details: how long cooked dishes keep.

and the rest of the week?

Popotam plans your whole week

Lunch and dinner, with dishes like this one, based on your tastes, your time and your budget. The grocery list is sorted by aisle. Free, no account.

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